Our Music of Proclamation (Christmas 2012)

by bryanajoy

There are holy days that come around to close off our year because of the Holy One that came to close off all our darkness. To me the most joyous part of our celebration of this ultimate occasion is our music of proclamation: the refrains that are as old as grave cathedrals; the declarations that are as new as last year; the carols that were written to announce the wonderful news through the wet streets, and in fire-lit homes.

Christmas has always been one of the highlights of life in my family. We have longstanding traditions for these holy days and one of these is music that has been part of our festivity for as long as I can remember.

Sadly, much that passes for Christmas music in our bewildered culture is nothing more than unsubstantial noise. Even our traditions center more around chestnuts and open fires, reindeer, mistletoe and snow than around the arrival of the Great Light. It can be hard to find artists who incorporate the mystery into their music. This is why I want to share a little list of some of my favorite Christmas music, in hopes that you will find something here you’ve never heard before, and that it will perhaps make the miracle settle a little deeper into you.

FULL ALBUMS

Christmas Album (Michael W. Smith) – The one word this album brings to mind is glory. It came out on cassette in 1989 and has played in our home since I was a child. It may be my favorite Christmas album of all time and I was tickled to find that Amazon reviewers seem to share my love for it: it earned a solid five stars on Amazon with fifty out of fifty-five reviewers giving it five stars. The album plays like one magnificent composition, with each track flowing into the next, and boasts splendid boys’ choir arrangements and beautiful lyrics. My favorite track is Lux Venit.

A Christmas Carol (James Galway) – This is a rich and lengthy collection of beautiful classical Christmas music with great choral back-ups and trilling flutes and four tracks of Bach (which are worth the whole album to me!) It has a very tranquil, 18th century feel about it.

A Winter Garden (by Loreena McKennit) – It may only be five tracks, but A Winter Garden is a carefully compiled group of beautiful songs. This is an album that has probably been in my house since about the time I was born. It is one of the sounds of Christmas to me.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Helma Sawatzky) – It isn’t really a Christmas song, but a hymn celebrating the Eucharist. However, my family learned it at Christmastime several years ago and we think of it as such. Helma also seems to sing it like a Christmas song, interposing a little snatch of another carol into the end of her arrangement.

Do you have a favorite Christmas album? Is there one song that has really just made your heart stop this year? I can’t wait to hear about it!

Thank you for this! I love good Christmas music, and am always looking for more, and I am very picky. Just a few days ago I finished digitizing two cassette tapes that are as old as I am, that my family has listened to all my life. It is nice to have access to that music again.